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Beyond the Poinsettia:
In Europe, the end of the year was traditionally celebrated by feasting and drinking. These ancient traditions continue into the present. In the mid-19th century, Victorian sentimentality combined with the new art of advertising led to many new traditions, such as decorating, gift giving and exchanging holiday cards. As the variety of plants in the marketplace has increased, people have found ways to include many exciting floral and fruiting plants into the holiday season.
Bromeliads:
Bromeliads refer to a large family of plants that contain more than 3,000 individual species. Bromeliads come in many different shapes and sizes from the diminutive Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) to the delicious pineapple (Ananas comosus).
Kalanchoe:
Kalanchoe has become a popular plant during the holidays because of its ease of growing and beautiful winter flowers. However, its leaves contain toxins that have been known to poison cattle in its native ranges in southern Africa and Australia.
Cyclamen spp.:
Just like a potato, Cyclamen grows from an underground storage organ called a tuber. In its native Mediterranean climate, the tuber serves as a storage organ for the plant that allows Cyclamen to conserve resources during the many dry months of the Mediterranean summer.
Pepper (Capsicum annuum):
Many ornamental varieties of the edible pepper plant (Capsicum annuum) have been developed in recent years. Botanically speaking, the fruit of a pepper is a berry since it derives from a single ovary. |